The Right Place 𝐟𝐭. 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐞𝐞

𝐗𝐕

"thick and thins"

bella carefully carried the hot pan out to the backyard to be set up for her niece's birthday party. "you okay?" oakley asked seeing as she quickly placed the pan down and rubbed her burning hands "yeah it was hot" she showed him her red hands with a smile for how weird it made her hands look. he chuckled picking up both hands and kissing the top of them both "stop being cheesy" she's not good at taking affection, isabel always became shy and runs away from the interaction "don't complain" oakley whispered in her ear as they walked back inside for the last three pans.

dominic and nichole's backyard was packed, domo had more friends did he close family, unless you consider close friends family. everyone showed up for nahla's birthday, even their mother, lexy. she flew in from new york just for her granddaughter, not her son and daughter. neither sibling held a grudge towards this or her because it had always been like this. they knew their mother was out there, she just picked and choosed when she wanted to be there. domo was thankfully nun the less that she showed up for his daughter.

lexy called everyone over to the food table wanting to get this all going before sun down and the food turns from hot and ready to cold, oakley got a plate for him and isabel before everything was gone by the double digits of people amongst them. "can't wait to see the look on nahla's face when she opens my present" isabel glanced over at him not knowing what he was talking about, when did her get his niece a present and why didn't she know "she is not beating the spoiled allegations in the future" they both let out a soft laugh while looking at a clueless nahla try to play sword tag. "hi hun, let me sit with you" lexy said with her america accent peaking through, she sat next to isabel with a plate in hand "everything okay mum?" oakley almost choked on his food looking at isabel's mum, she didn't even look old enough to have two grown kids. which is true, she was a teen mom, typical 16 and pregnant. lexy giggled at oakleys expression "thank you, i know" she says making him embarrassed that he was that easy to read "i'll excuse myself, it was nice seeing you. i'm oakley" he got up shaking the women hand and went to find dominic.

isabel wished he never left, she was stuck with her mother and the load of questions to help her catch up with motherhood. "well isn't he cute" lexy says glancing over to where oakley "how are you holding up?" isabel skipped over her mothers attempt at lightening the mood and got serious. her moms 2nd husband, her stepfather, had died not too long ago and she was suffering in silence, she didn't even tell her own kids that their stepfather had died. "i don't want to talk about that, i'm perfectly fine, let me enjoy my granddaughter's birthday" she was right, lexy desperately needed a good day to herself "so, who's he? what did i miss" isabel sighed respecting her mothers wishes and pretended like nothing happened "nothing crazy, other than i loved in with domo 5 months ago, but i have my own place now so don't worry" her mother put down her fork in disbelief "wait, what happened to that white boy...the one with the...what's his name again, buzz cut boy" isabel laughed thankful her mother does not remember charlie well enough "we broke up." the silence was loud after isabel said that out loud, this time accepting of the fact her and charlie aren't together anymore.

lexy cleared her throat taking bella out of her head "are you dating anyone new?" should she tell her mom about oakley? are they even actually together "i'm with no one" she said in a loud enough whisper "so i'm no one" oakley came up from behind making isabel jump at the sound of his voice, she felt embarrassed saying but she was just playing it safe. isabel gave her mother a proper introduction about oakley and they hit it off immediately, definitely not because her mother found him handsome. bella ended the conversation when lexy started bringing up marriage and kids, excusing themselves with a lie about helping her older brother.